Brothers in arms: 200,000 roar on the Brownlee's as they storm to gold and bronze medals

THE Yorkshire pair, ranked one and two in the world, are the first British brothers to win medals in an individual sport at the same Games since Reggie and Laurie Doherty also won gold and bronze in tennis in 1900.

Roared on by 200,000 people in Hyde Park, Alistair Brownlee became Britain’s first triathlon gold medal winner yesterday and 31 seconds later, just like London buses, younger sibling Jonny came along to grab bronze after clawing back a 15-second penalty which looked to have wrecked his medal chances.

In between was Spain’s two-time world champion, Javier Gomez, disrupting what would have been a dream one-two but taking nothing away from a day of drama and stunning achievement.

The Yorkshire pair, ranked one and two in the world, are the first British brothers to win medals in an individual sport at the same Games since Reggie and Laurie Doherty also won gold and bronze in tennis in 1900.

And one stat more than any other summed up the scale of Alistair’s success.

After swimming 1.5km and pounding out 43km on a bike, he forged gold by running 10,000 metres only 1min 37secs slower than Mo Farah did on Saturday.

In fact, the 24-year-old would have beaten the last-placed athlete in that race.

Jonny, 22, collapsed from his own exertions and had to be treated in the medical room, delaying the medal ceremony for an hour.

Alistair said: “I’m immensely proud that my brother could get a bronze.

“We made no secret of the fact we wanted to get both of us on the podium and that’s not easy to do considering Britain had never won a triathlon medal.

“It shows the strength of training together, always pushing each other on and the fantastic relationship we both have.”

Jonny branded himself an “idiot” for copping the time punishment for mounting his bike too early.

And he admitted he thought it was Alistair who was the guilty party when the news came through that rider 31 had to endure a 15-second penalty from an infringement at the swim transition.

“When I first looked at the board I saw the number 31 and thought, ‘Ah Alistair has a penalty – what an idiot!’

“Then I looked at my right arm, and saw 31, looked at my left arm and saw 31 and realised, ‘Hey, I’m 31 – damn, I’m the idiot!’”

But the junior Brownlee insisted he didn’t feel robbed by the decision, even though his brother blasted the notion of penalties in his sport.

Jonny said: “It would definitely have been closer but I don’t think I would have beaten him. He dropped me on the third lap anyway.

“Javier has had an incredible run, his best ever, so I don’t think it would have changed the result though to be honest we will never know.”

But Alistair said: “Penalties are a tactical disgrace in triathlon.

“They’re ruining a sport by bringing judgemental decisions into a sport that is the purest there is, where people start and finish and the first ones across the line win.”

But Jonny was not the first Brownlee to collapse at Hyde Park, with Alistair suffering what was then his first World Championship Series defeat when he fell over the finish line in 10th place in 2010.

Jonny said: “I crossed the line and felt awful. Then I got into the tent afterwards and felt worse and worse and I overheated, then I collapsed and was sick and got taken to the medical tent.

“But that’s part of triathlon, it’s a hard sport. I’m feeling much better now, just a bit tired.”

Jonny emerged from the swim in the Serpentine fourth of the 55 competitors, with Alistair sixth.

The bike ride itself could not have gone any better, the Brownlees in the leading pack with training partner Stuart Hayes taking on some of the leg work to protect them in the peloton as the riders spun seven times around the course which took in such famous landmarks as Wellington Arch, Constitution Hill, Buckingham Palace and Birdcage Walk.

So to the run, the discipline which so often sorts out the great from the good and which saw the Brownlee brothers and Gomez form a three-man breakaway.

Jonny felt the pace first. Gomez dug in but Alistair’s iron will and wiry frame was not to be denied and he edged away on the third lap of four to experience the luxury of crossing the finish line at walking pace with a Union Flag draped around his shoulders.

They are charging a pretty penny to see Zippos Christmas Circus in Hyde Park later this year.